Redfish Sauce Piquant (Cajun)

Diving deep into a bowl of Redfish Sauce Piquante is an exploration of the spicy side of Louisiana’s culinary culture. It is a saucy and richly flavoured dish that doesn’t hold back on taste. This recipe delivers a heavy wallop of deliciousness in a Magnalite pot. A court bouillon is classic Creole in origin, and the technique heralds from the French culinary method of poaching seafood, usually redfish or catfish. In Louisiana, a highly spiced, red tomato-based gravy is most frequently seen. On the other hand, a sauce piquante recipe is more aligned with rustic Cajun technique. Flavour develops with the browning of meats, wild game, or sausage (versus fish) and the addition of tomatoes, stock and most importantly, a dark Cajun roux. While it might sound like gumbo, the rich, fiery, tomato flavour defines it in a class of its own. Each dish can take on variations depending on the consistency and spice profile of the cook. And the ingredients are endless: turtle, frog legs and alligator meat show up in some classic renditions of both techniques. So, get out your Dutch oven and fire up the burner to explore the spicy side of cooking with a Louisiana classic.

4 lbs redfish fillets
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups yellow onion, diced
2 cups green bell pepper, diced
2 cups celery, diced
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 (10 oz) can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained, such as Rotel
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. pure honey
4 cups seafood stock
½ cup dark roux
2 cups smoked pork sausage, sliced
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cups green onion tops, diced
dash hot sauce
6 cups cooked Louisiana long-grain white rice, such as Supreme

Inspect the fish fillets for any pin bones and remove. Cut into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large Dutch oven or cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat, add the oil along with the onions, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until the onions turn translucent and add the parsley and garlic. Season with white pepper, paprika and cayenne. Add the tomatoes, Rotel, tomato paste, and honey, and stir. Add the stock and stir in the roux until dissolved and the pot begins to boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the sausage and bay leaves to the pot. Cover the pot and let cook for 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the chopped rosemary, thyme, basil, and half the green onion tops, reserving the remaining green onion tops for garnish. Close the lid and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove the lid to taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

Just before serving, add the fish fillets and submerge in the sauce. Bring the pot to a simmer and let cook until the fish is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Be sure not to stir the fish to prevent it from breaking up.

For serving, ladle the redfish sauce piquante over a mound of rice in a shallow bowl and garnish with green onion tops. Serve with crusty French.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Cook's Notes: Redfish can be substituted with a variety of flaky fish (catfish, snapper, drum, even tilapia will work). Fish fillets are delicate; do NOT stir the pot once the fish is added. I prefer boneless fillets, but if you are adventurous use whole fish. I like the infusion of smoke with the addition of smoked pork sausage, but you can leave it out. A touch of honey balances out the acidic tomatoes—be sure to include it. Feel free to use a quality, jarred roux like Rox’s Roux or make your own by following Rox’s roux recipe here. This is a basic sauce piquante recipe that can be adapted to alligator, rabbit, or most any wild game.